As you know, 12/21/2012 was the end of the Mayan calendar. Or, some would say, the beginning of a new universal cycle. Conversations of the world imploding were amusing. Angie and I were in the air, on a plane going half way around the world to Thailand. We joked that when we landed, it would be a “new world”.

Our friends at Woodsmithe were thinking about us and dropped off their Woodsmithe Survival Kit — a carefully crafted, handmade tool kit with all of the essentials to survive in the new world. Unlucky for us, we didn’t get the kit until we returned back home from our adventure. Lucky for all of us, the world didn’t end, it has simply begun “new” again. This kit will now be our reminder to keep building, to continue growing, to continue to do good work, amazing work…. just as Woodsmithe, does each and every day.

One of the things we love at Poketo is seeing snapshots of the many ways our customers are using our products. First we have Bora Kim Poon, who shared this photo on Instagram. Bora used our holiday wrapping paper to wrap birthday gifts for her husband, photographer Rick Poon. Finished off with rustic rope twine, we love how elegant and personalized these presents look!

Next up we have Maureen, who embarked on a “drip dye” project with our wooden snowflakes. With white and gold acrylic ink, she used droppers to drip the ink onto the snowflakes. The finished product is incredibly stunning, and reminds us of a winter wonderland right in the heart of the home.

How are you using or personalizing your Poketo purchases? We’d love for you to share them with us!

We’re thrilled that you guys love our new kitchen linens collection as much as we do. They are such a delight to behold and can be used in so many ways – as placemats, to line serving trays and fruit baskets or to decorate the home.

One of our customers, Min Choi, kindly shared with us her creative take on our tea towels – by using it as gift wrap for boxed liquor and a bottle of wine! We love how easy it is, and best of all, can be re-used long after the gifts have been unwrapped. Here’s her step-by-step guide for stylishly wrapped presents:

For boxed gifts

1. Place your gift in the center of the tea towel.
2. Take one end of the tea towel and fold it over the gift.
3. Lift the bottom of the tea towel and hold it in place.
4. Take the opposite end of the tea towel and make a triangular fold with it.
5. Wrap the triangular fold over the gift, then twist the top and fasten it with ribbon or twine.

For a bottle of wine

1. Slip the neck of your wine bottle through the loop at the back of the tea towel to secure it.
2. Take one end of the tea towel and fold it over the bottle.
3. Roll the bottle towards the other end of the tea towel.
4. Tuck in the ends and secure the package with the loop on the tea towel.

Thank you Min, for showing us how you are re-purposing our tea towels!

How are you using your Poketo kitchen linens? We’d love to hear from you!

Halloween is almost upon us. If you’re hosting a party, you may have laid out all the spooky decorations, sinful candy and scary music, but you may not have had time to get into the spirit of things with a proper costume.

That’s where we come in to the rescue! Well, kind of… not that these are totally proper, but, they are lot of fun! Inspired by all the ghoulish Halloween preparations popping around us, we asked our uber-talented fall intern, Emi Tamaru, to help us out by brandishing her playful drawing skills for these fun-filled Halloween masks.

This Halloween be a mysterious bat, sly cat, jolly pumpkin, sweet witch, zombie mummy, or blood-thirsty vampire. It’s up to you!

1. Simply download the images below by saving them on your desk top
2. Print the image on 8.5 x 11 paper on heavier stock preferably.
3. Pierce holes for the eyes, attach a string or stick, and you’re all set!
4. If you want, color them in for a more personal look.
5. Don’t forget to take a pic and post it on Facebook, we’d be stoked to see it! Most of all, have (ghoulish) fun!!